Born of the Willow
by seeleyboothfan
Summary: Blaine was a hunter, searching the woods for his dinner. Instead he comes across an intriguing boy who is like nothing else in the entire world. AU. Based loosely off Erutan/KateTheGreat19's "The Willow Maid".
1. Chapter 1

**Based on Erutan's (KateTheGreat19 on Youtube) "The Willow Maid" off her CD "Raindancer". Check it out sometime, she's amazing.**

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There was the unmistakable sound of giggling coming from the northern edge of the forest. Blaine hefted his bow higher upon his shoulder and peered through the trees. There was nothing but endless greenery. Blaine shrugged and continue onwards. He followed the paved trail for several miles until he spotted a few broken branches on the western edge. He squatted down and ran his hand over the hoofprints in the dirt; they were fresh.

Blaine pulled his bow from his back and made his way carefully through the trees, stepping lightly to minimize the noise of his footfalls. A peal of musical laughter sounded behind him; Blaine whipped his bow up and scanned the area. Still nothing.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

"No." The voice came from behind and above him. Blaine spun and finally spotted the source of the voice. A young boy sat upon the branch of a willow tree half a yard away, a large smile on his face. The boy was the most stunning creature Blaine had ever seen. He had pale, milky skin, luxurious chestnut hair, and glowing blue eyes. He wore a simple white tunic which lay perfectly against his lean body and his feet were bare.

Blaine took a few moments to compose himself before responding. "The typical response to 'is anyone there?' is 'yes'."

The boy cocked his head. "That would be a lie. There is no one named "Anyone" here, just me." The boy giggled, his whole face lighting up.

Blaine frowned, even as his heart leapt at the sound of the boy's laughter. "That's not funny."

"Your sense of humor must be broken, then." The boy smiled and swung his legs back and forth.

"My sense of humor is just fine."

The boy didn't respond. He started humming and it seemed as if he was done speaking with Blaine.

"What are you doing up there?"

He looked down at Blaine, his legs never stopping their swinging. "I live here," he said matter-of-factly and returned his gaze to the forest.

"You live in the forest?"

The boy shook his head. " I live in this tree."

"You cannot possibly live here. There is no bed, no shelter."

"Bed?" He sounded confused.

"Where do you sleep?"

"I lay in the topmost branches each night so that I may gaze upon the stars. I enjoy the rain, the breeze, the sun, everything is a gift. I am blessed to have been chosen for this place."

"Chosen?"

The boy frowned and even that looked beautiful on his face. "I'm not supposed to talk about this with strangers."

"My name is Blaine."

The boy tilted his head, a look of confusion on his face.

"You know my name. If you tell me yours, we won't be strangers." Blaine flashed him a smile.

"I do not have a name, or at least one of the human tongue." He placed his hands on his chest where his heart lay and smiled blindingly. "You may call me whatever you like."

This boy had no name. He lived in a tree. Blaine was more confused that he'd ever been. Either this boy was challenged or he was something more than human. "What did you mean by chos- could you come down?"

"Why?"

"It hurts my neck to be looking up for so long."

"No, I think I shall stay here. It is almost night, you really should go home."

"I don't want to leave you here alone."

"I'm not alone." He placed his hand on the willow tree.

"I want to see you again, will you be here tomorrow?"

"Why do you ask silly questions? Of course I will be here tomorrow. I will be here forever. This is my home." He smiled brightly and shook his head at Blaine. "Good night, Blaine." Without waiting for a response, the boy clambered up the tree, disappearing from sight.

Blaine stood there for a few moments, trying to understand what just happened. Nothing made sense. The only thing Blaine knew was that he would return to this very spot tomorrow and speak more with this intriguing boy. His stomach grumbled – he'd run out of sunlight to hunt for dinner. He'd have to go without tonight. It was worth it.

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**What'd you think? I've never written AU so I'm feeling like I'm fumbling along. I apologize if this was odd or slow going - it should pick up in the next chapter. Not sure how long this will be and how often it will be posted. It's very difficult to put to words because the imagery I get from the song is so in-depth and specific and I want to do it justice.**


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine was sure he was at the correct tree but there was no sign of the boy. He realized belatedly that he couldn't call out for him – he'd never learned his name. He spent all night thinking of the boy, trying to decide what name would fit him. He wasn't a Bob or a George or a Steve. He needed something beautiful and magical just like him. Just as he was falling into slumber _Kurt_ echoed through his mind.

The boy didn't know Blaine had come up with a name, so calling out "Kurt!" wouldn't help. He'd just have to hope that Kurt would be where he'd left him. It seemed like luck was against him because he was nowhere to be found.

Blaine sighed and rubbed a hand firmly across his face, sitting at the base of the willow tree. He nearly leaped out of his skin when he heard a voice call out above him, "Good morning, Blaine."

His head whipped up and his neck cracked at the movement. The boy was climbing down the branches of the tree above him, just as beautiful as Blaine had remembered him. "Kurt."

The boy tilted his head. "What's a kurt?"

"You." Blaine said breathlessly.

"I'm a kurt? Is a kurt a good thing to be?"

Blaine shook his head. "Not _A_ kurt. Just Kurt. A name."

The boy smiled, his face lighting up. "You've named me." He sounded pleased. "It's a lovely name. Thank you."

Blaine stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Would you come down today?"

Kurt's face dropped and he placed a finger to his lips, contemplating. "No, but you could join me up here." Kurt patted the branch beside him.

Blaine eyed the tree. "The branches are too high up, I cannot reach them."

Kurt pouted. "I guess we shall have to stay parted, then."

"Why won't you come down here?"

"Because men are down there. Men with weapons who would hurt me and my brethren. Weapons like the one you carry." Kurt frowned down at him.

Blaine reached back and touched the bow self-consciously. "I would never use this to harm another person."

"But you would harm the creatures of this forest. I am here to protect them from people like you."

"I have to eat, Kurt. You cannot blame me for needing to fill my stomach."

"You could consume the fruit from the trees and the roots from the ground. You do not need to take a life to keep your own. There are ways to share in the bounties of nature without harming those around you."

"I cannot live off plants. Man must eat meat to stay strong."

"I do not eat meat."

Blaine smiled up at Kurt. "You look frail enough to be knocked down by the wind."

"I am stronger than I look." Something flashed in Kurt's eyes but within seconds they were back to their regular blue.

"What are you, exactly? You talk as though you are not human."

"I am not human." Kurt's legs started to swing underneath him, seemingly content that he'd answered Blaine's question.

"If you're not human, then what are you?"

"There are stories that you have that call my race Nymphs. We do not bother ourselves with labels. We were created at the beginning of time to protect the forest of our birth and all those who dwell in it."

"How old are you?" Kurt just looked at him with a confused smile. "How long have you lived here?"

"I was here at the birth of this forest many ages ago."

"You look no older than a boy." Blaine shook his head in amazement.

"We do not age as humans do." Kurt looked up suddenly as a bird landed on the branch next to him. It hopped a few times until it was resting in the palm of Kurt's hand. The boy reached out stroked a hand down its silken head before casting a sad expression at Blaine. "I am sorry, but I have duties to attend to."

"If I swear to protect you, will you come down tomorrow?"

Kurt paused from where he'd begun to stand and looked down at Blaine. "It would be best if you did not return to this forest."

"I must see you again."

Kurt shook his head. "I will not come down tomorrow. I should not have called out to you in the first place. We are not to speak to humans."

"Then why did you answer me?"

Kurt tilted his head and looked confused. "I do not know for certain. Now, please leave and do not return." Kurt climbed back up into the highest branches of the trees and out of Blaine's sight. No matter what Kurt said, Blaine would return the next day. He was in love with the beautiful boy and he would not give up without a fight.

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**I hope this story makes sense to you guys. It's an odd premise and I feel like I'm not doing it justice. I hope the rest of the chapters work better than these first two. Let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Kurt, please come down." Blaine had been yelling up at the willow for almost an hour with no sight of the boy. "I will stay here all day if I must."

Blaine attempted to climb the tree a few times to no avail. The branches were much too high for him to reach.

"Kurt, please. You don't even have to stay and talk, I just want to see you."

"If your eyesight was better, you'd have seen that I've been here all along. Your face gets really red when it's angry."

Blaine looked up to see the smiling face of the nymph through a few of the branches to the left side of the tree. "If you were there all along, why didn't you come down sooner?"

"I was hoping you'd leave." Kurt looked sad. "I do not know why you insist upon returning."

"I love you." Blaine's eyes widened. He hadn't planned on blurting that out so soon.

"Why?" Kurt looked down at him in confusion.

"You are the most stunning creature I have ever seen. Are all Nymphs as beautiful as you?"

Kurt cheeks took on a rosy hue and he giggled. "You are too kind, dear Blaine. So you love me for my looks?"

"It is not just the way you look. It's the way you talk and the way you see the world. I've only known you for a few days but you make me think about things in a new way and you challenge me."

"What do you plan on doing with this love? I am not going to come down from this tree and you cannot climb it. Are you going to spend your days loving me from afar?"

"You said you wouldn't come down because you were worried about other men and their weapons. I promise I will protect you from them all. You would be safe with me."

Kurt sighed. "That is not the only reason I do not come down. Even if things were safe, I would not come down because it's not allowed."

"Who says you're not allowed? You are your own person, you can make your own decisions."

"No, I cannot make my own decisions. This is my home and I must take care of it. I will never leave this place. Now, please go home; you are making me sad."

"Will you come down tomorrow when I return?"

"Please do not come back. You will only frustrate yourself and I will be sad because I do not like seeing you upset."

"I would not be upset if you came down."

Kurt just shook his head and gave him a sad smile. He then pulled himself up higher into the branches so that Blaine could no longer see him. "Goodbye, Blaine."

"I will not say goodbye to you, Kurt. I will return tomorrow."

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**Another short chapter. There are about 3 more chapters are far as I can tell by the rough draft I have for this. Let me know if you're enjoying this.**


	4. Chapter 4

Blaine set a ladder up at the base of the willow tree and smiled. He wished he'd thought of this sooner. Soon, he would be able to reach out and touch the boy who had plagued his thoughts day and night for the past week.

Once he was sure the ladder was secure, he started to climb. He'd made sure to leave his bow at home today; Kurt hated the weapon and Blaine wanted to make sure Kurt was happy today. When he'd arrived at the tree this morning, he'd called out for Kurt, but there was no answer. The tree was only so tall; once he climbed up, Kurt would have nowhere to hide.

Blaine hit his head a few times on the branches and snagged his shirt on the leaves as he climbed up the willow. The ladder got him high enough to reach the stronger branches that held his weight. He slowly pulled himself from branch to branch, smiling in triumph when he spotted a scrap of white fabric through the leaves above him. "Kurt?"

The leaves rustled and the face of the nymph peered down at him. "Blaine?" He sounded so confused. "How did you get up here?"

Blaine smirked. "I built a ladder. You said I could join you."

"I only said that when I knew you couldn't climb." Kurt frowned.

"It's too late. You offered and I accepted." Blaine kept pulling himself up until he finally was at eye-level with the boy. He let himself take him in up close. The boy was even more beautiful than Blaine remembered. Without thought, he reached out towards Kurt. The nymph flinched and pulled back, his eyes widening in fright.

"Please don't touch me."

"Why not?"

Kurt bit his lip. "You're not supposed to be here."

Blaine scooched closer to him. "Please, just once. I want to see if your skin is as soft as it looks." Kurt shook his head, but Blaine couldn't be deterred. He pursued Kurt until the boy's back hit the tree's trunk and he had nowhere to run. Blaine reached out and trailed his hand down the nymph's cheek. "Beautiful." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kurt's.

The boy was still, not responding at all. Blaine pulled back after a few moments. Kurt pressed a hand to his lips, tears trailing down his face. "This isn't supposed to happen."

Blaine ignored him, still enthralled with the feeling of the boy's lips. "I am going to take you home with me. We shall make a life together."

Kurt pushed him away. "You need to leave. You can't be here anymore."

Blaine reached forward and took Kurt's hands in his. "You think that now. I will show you how good our life can be. I will return here every day until I can convince you to come with me."

Kurt pulled his hands away and curled in on himself. "That will never happen. I will never leave this tree. This is my home. Please leave me alone."

Blaine nodded. "I will give you some time to think about this. I need to prepare my house for when you join me." He caressed Kurt's cheek, wiping the tears from it. "Don't cry, beautiful, we will be together soon."

He turned from him and started making his way back down the tree. He didn't notice the sound of Kurt's sobs. He was too focused on planning for their future.

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**I apologize for Blaine being an asshole in this. This is part of the song's story so I had to follow it, but it hurts seeing Blaine ignorning Kurt's pain. There are about two more chapters of this and they don't get any happier.**


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine had returned to the tree every day and climbed up to the top most branches where Kurt tended to stay during the day. Each day the Nymph became more and more withdrawn and there was nothing Blaine could do to convince Kurt to come with him.

It was a warm spring day when Blaine came up with his plan. He grabbed his sharpest axe and made his way to the willow tree. There were things coming between him and the boy, so he had to remove those obstacles.

He hefted the axe and brought it down upon the trunk of the willow tree. Within seconds, there was a scream from above him. "_What are you doing_?!" Kurt screeched and he scrambled down towards him.

"If you will not leave this tree, then I will have to get rid of it. We are meant to be together, Kurt. You will see that, soon." He continue hacking at the tree, chunks of it flying about him.

Kurt started moaning and he begged Blaine to stop. "Stop! Please, stop! This is wrong! This is my home! Please don't destroy my home! Blaine, please! Stop!"

Blaine ignored the Nymph. He'd understand once this tree was gone. They'd make a life together and everything would be perfect. It only took ten minutes for Blaine to fell the willow. Kurt leaped off of it and stumbled to his knees when he landed at Blaine's feet. Blaine set down his axe and helped Kurt stand. The boy batted away Blaine's hand and pulled away from him, looking dejectedly down at his once majestic home, now fallen to the ground.

"Kurt?"

"What you've done can never be undone." He sounded furious and his body shook.

Blaine reached out and laid a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. It was the only way you would come home with me. I'll take care of you, you will want for nothing."

Kurt turned to look at him, his blue eyes glassy with tears. He allowed Blaine to pull him away from his home. They had gone only a few yards from his willow when Kurt collapsed. Blaine knelt down and pulled the boy into his arms. Kurt's body was convulsing and he cried out in pain.

"Kurt, what is happening?" Blaine attempted to still the boy, but it was no use.

The Nymph's body twisted and contorted as it was wracked with pain. His mouth was open in a silent cry and his cheeks were damp with tears. Gradually, the trembling stopped until the boy was completely still. His chest no longer rose with breath and his cheeks lost their rosy sheen. The body that had been warm and full of life just moments before was empty.

Blaine felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He pressed a kiss to Kurt's pale lips and laid him carefully down. He crossed Kurt's arms upon his chest and closed the boy's eyes. Blaine stood up, his knees wobbling under him. He gazed down upon him for a few moments and then turned to go home. Just as he was nearing the edge of the forest, he turned back to look upon Kurt once more.

In the place where Kurt's body had been, a single flower stood. Blaine's eyes narrowed and he walked toward it. The Nymph was nowhere to be found. Blaine knelt down by the flower which had not yet bloomed.

Blaine pulled his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. He allowed himself to think back on the past two weeks. Images of Kurt's smiling face warmed Blaine's heart. Interspersed with the smiling faces were the sad and confused expressions Blaine had refused to acknowledge. Blaine felt awful as he remembered the way Kurt had screamed at him today to stop chopping his tree down. Blaine had ignored the beautiful boy that he loved and now he was gone.

Blaine's eyes never strayed from the flower as the night came upon him. There was a small break in the canopy, enough for a shaft of moonlight to shine down upon him. When the light hit the flower, it started to bloom. The bud opened and the most beautiful blue petals emerged. They were the exact color of Kurt's eyes.

He reached out and caressed a silky petal; it was as soft as Kurt's skin. The moon stayed shining for only a moment before clouds obscured it. As soon as the light had faded in the forest, the petals on the flower started to fall to the ground, one by one. Tears pooled and rained down Blaine's face. After the last petal fell, the stem of the flower browned and drooped.

What had once been a beautiful boy was now barren and dead all because he had selfishly tried to take him from a place he was never meant to leave.

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**A message from the composer and writer of "The Willow Maid" about the song. This song inspired my story:**

**Erutan ~ "I've always been fascinated by the idea that each tree has a 'soul' in the form of a nymph or fairy. In Celtic mythology a man will often claim a sea nymph or tree nymph as his bride, but I never read the story where the fairy had any say in the matter. In my song, the man refuses to listen to the fairy's repeated plea, and cuts down her willow tree hoping to persuade her to come with him, but the act kills her instead."**

A young man walked through the forest

with his quiver and hunting bow.

He heard a young girl singing

and followed the sound below.

There he found the maiden

who lives in the willow.

He called to her as she listened

from a ring of toadstools red.

'Come with me my maiden

come from thy willow bed'

She looked at him serenely

and only shook her head.

'See me now, a ray of light in the moondance.

See me now, I cannot leave this place.

Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest.

Don't ask me, to follow where you lead.'

A young man walked through the forest

with a flower and coat of green

His love had hair like fire

her eyes an emerald sheen.

She wrapped herself in beauty

so young and so serene.

He stood there under the willow

and he gave her the yellow bloom.

'Girl my heart you've captured

oh I would be your groom.'

She said she'd wed him never

not near, nor far, nor soon.

A young man walked through the forest

with an axe sharp as a knife.

'I'll take the green-eyed fairy

and she shall be my wife.

With her I'll raise my children

with her I'll live my life.'

The maiden wept when she heard him

when he said he'd set her free.

He took his axe and used it

to bring down her ancient tree.

'Now your willow's fallen

now you belong to me.'

She followed him out the forest

and collapsed upon the earth

Her feet had walked but a distance

from the green land of her birth.

She faded into a flower

that would bloom for one bright eve.

He could not take from the forest

what was never meant to leave.


End file.
